Editor's Note On August 23, the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Medical Association (AMA), and American Hospital Association (AHA) released a joint statement commending the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The approval marks an important moment for those concerned about getting vaccinated because…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that from May 3 to July 25, 2021, there were 1,271 new COVID-19 hospitalizations among fully vaccinated adults in New York, compared with 7,308 among unvaccinated adults. Hospitalization rates declined through the week of…

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Editor's Note Data from a new survey of more than 4,500 nurses conducted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in conjunction with the Johnson & Johnson-sponsored “COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses” campaign finds that about 90% are vaccinated against COVID-19 or plan to be vaccinated. Other findings from the survey…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, finds that patients who had a penicillin allergy carried a higher risk for negative outcomes with COVID-19 than those without the allergy. This analysis included 13,183 adults with COVID-19 and a penicillin allergy and 13,183…

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Editor's Note The Louisiana Department of Health has requested 6,000 military nurses to help handle increasing patient volumes in the state because of the surge in COVID-19 cases, the August 17 k945.com reports. The report also notes that: 95% of all COVID-19 cases in Louisiana are due to the Delta…

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The better a patient’s overall health prior to undergoing surgery, the more likely a good surgical outcome. Research has demonstrated the benefits of prehabilitation and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols, and many healthcare facilities have embedded such practices into their surgical patient care pathways. At UPMC Central Pennsylvania Region in…

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Editor's Note This international multicenter study led by UK researchers finds that the first wave of COVID-19 significantly impacted surgical patients in peak months—directly by comorbid infections and indirectly by increasing mortality, irrespective of COVID-19 status. In this analysis of 3,176 emergency adult surgical patients from 18 countries (between March…

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Editor's Note American Hospital Association statistics show that 1,850 US hospitals, or nearly 30%, have now announced COVID-19 vaccination mandates for their healthcare workers (HCWs), the August 17 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Several states, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Main, also are requiring HCWs to get vaccinated.…

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Editor's Note This study finds that 11.3% of COVID-19 patients in the UK caught the infection while in the hospital during the first wave of the pandemic, and this proportion increased to at least 15.8% by May 2020. Of 82,624 patients admitted to 314 hospitals before August 1, 2020, between…

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Editor's Note AORN announced on August 15 that it will launch a new “Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Prevention of RSI.” Facilities will be recognized as Centers of Excellence for implementing a surgical team-based program to prevent retained surgical items (RSI). The complimentary program, sponsored by the AORN Foundation…

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